The speaker discusses the mission of God and the importance of community in fulfilling His purpose. They emphasize the role of disciple making in fulfilling the purpose of humanity. The relationship between identity and behavior is explored, highlighting the importance of living in alignment with one's identity as a follower of Jesus. The impact of identity on the Christian movement and the challenges faced in disciple making and evangelism are also discussed.
Prioritizing reaching unreached people groups is living out our identity and purpose as worshipers of God.
A balanced approach in discipleship is necessary, embracing both an obedience orientation and a knowledge-based approach, while equipping believers to live out their identity as missionaries in their communities.
Deep dives
Embracing Missionary Identity
The podcast episode discusses the importance of embracing a missionary identity. It emphasizes that the mission of God is not limited to the New Testament but is seen throughout the grand narrative of Scripture. The end goal of God's mission is for Christ to be surrounded by worshipers from all nations. However, sin has misdirected our worship, leading to the existence of unreached people groups. The main point is that prioritizing the gospel reaching these unreached people groups is living out our identity and purpose as worshipers of God. The episode also highlights that the gospel is not just about forgiveness of sins, but also about reconciling us to God, saving us into the church, and empowering us for mission. It emphasizes the importance of embracing our identity as new creations in Christ and ambassadors for Christ, and living out this identity by making disciples and engaging with the lost.
The Shift from Obedience to Knowledge
The episode discusses how the progression of institutionalization in churches often leads to a shift from an obedience-oriented discipleship approach to a knowledge-based approach. This shift occurs as churches become larger and require high-capacity leaders and formal structures. The emphasis on knowledge can hinder the growth of disciples and evangelism, as maturity is assessed based on what people know rather than how they live. It highlights the importance of embracing both an obedience orientation and a knowledge-based approach in discipleship, and warns against excluding the priesthood of all believers in favor of professional ministers and volunteers. The episode encourages leaders to cultivate a missional identity among believers and release them to live out their identity in their daily lives.
Avoiding Decline and Decay
The podcast episode explores the decline and decay that often occur in churches when the focus shifts from disciple-making and evangelism to maintenance and attractional programming. It points out that when attendance becomes the measure of success, pastors can become consumed with managing buildings, budgets, and attracting people. This can lead to a lack of relationships with the lost and a failure to equip the congregation for the work of the ministry. The episode emphasizes the need to stay rooted in a missional identity and avoid the traps of maintenance, marketing, and mercenary approaches to ministry. It highlights the importance of cultivating a balanced approach that holds intention both an obedience orientation and a knowledge-based approach to discipleship, empowering all believers to live out their identity as missionaries in their communities.
Cultivating a Missional Identity
The main theme of the podcast episode is the need to cultivate a missional identity among believers. It encourages leaders to focus on equipping and releasing the entire body of Christ for the work of the ministry. This involves embracing the believer priesthood concept, where all believers are seen as ministers and ambassadors for Christ. The episode emphasizes the importance of living out this identity in daily life, engaging with the lost, and making disciples. It challenges the prevailing knowledge-based approach to discipleship and urges a return to an obedience orientation. The ultimate goal is to foster a balanced approach that combines both obedience and knowledge, enabling believers to have fruitful and impactful lives as they embrace their identity as new creations and ambassadors for Christ.